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The ICON Apparel Shop is Open!


ICON Collective is excited to announce the official ICON Merch and Apparel Shop! Check out the new line of ICON fashion.

The ICON Merch and Apparel Shop is Open!

ICON Collective apparel is the best way to show your love for the Music Production School and the Collective Community.

Whether you’re at a show, school, or just hanging out, ICON fashion keeps you looking fresh while supporting the Collective.

The shop offers a range of ICON logo printed t-shirts, embroidered hats, a symbol pin, and an ICON flag. We’re also offering a limited edition embroidered crewneck on presale for the next two weeks.

International shipping and free pickup from ICON Collective for all shop items are also available.


Featured ICON Apparel: Embroidered Logo Crewneck

Introducing the Limited Edition ICON Collective Embroidered Logo Crewneck Sweatshirt. It’s available for presale until March 5! Only 50 will be available so get yours before we sell out!

The black fabric is a comfortable 50/50 cotton/polyester blend that has reduced pilling, and softer air-jet spun yarn. The Sweatshirt features an embroidered ICON logo at left chest, 1×1 athletic rib knit collar, cuffs, and waistband. It also has a double-needle stitched collar, shoulders, armholes, cuffs, and waistband to keep it lasting for years to come.

LIMITED EDITION, ONLY 50 CREWNECKS AVAILABLE. PRE ORDER ENDS MARCH 5TH.

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MORE ARTICLES FROM THE ICON BLOG

By Florian Radke 06 Dec, 2023
Mastering is the final stage of the music production process, and it can make all the difference between an amateur sounding mix and a professional, radio-ready track. As the last creative step before distribution, mastering polishes a mix and prepares it for the listener's experience across various playback systems. While mixing involves balancing and processing individual tracks, mastering takes a holistic approach. Mastering engineers use specialized tools and global adjustments to enhance the overall sound quality, consistency, and perceived loudness of a song. Their expertise and fresh ears provide an objective perspective on giving mixes the final touches they need. This guide breaks down the art of mastering into "4 C's" - clarity, consistency, color, and clipping/loudness. Understanding these concepts is key to elevating mixes and achieving professional masters. Whether you're a producer looking to DIY master your own tracks or better communicate with mastering engineers, the 4 C's provide a framework for success. I. Clarity Clarity refers to how clearly the listener can hear all the individual elements and details in a mix. It enables the message and emotion of the music to shine through. Mastering should enhance clarity by ensuring nothing obscures the core instruments and vocals. Equalization (EQ) is essential for boosting clarity during mastering. Strategic EQ can attenuate problem frequencies that clutter or mask other elements. For example, a dip at 400-600Hz could tame muddy bass buildup, while a boost at 2-4kHz could increase vocal presence. Subtle EQ moves of 1-2dB can make a notable difference. Multiband compression also helps increase clarity on specific frequency ranges. Compressing the low mids around 300-500Hz can tighten and control muddy resonances, cleaning up the low end. Gentle compression on highs above 10kHz can add sizzle and detail. The key is to compress transparently, avoiding pumping artifacts. Modern mastering tools like iZotope’s Ozone provide dedicated modules for honing clarity. The “Spectral Shaper” applies smoothing EQ to suppress resonances and masking. The “Vintage Tape” module smooths out peaks and enhances punch. Used subtly, these processing tools can work wonders for opening up a dense mix.  A case study in exemplary clarity is the mastering on Daft Punk’s 2013 album “Random Access Memories.” Despite the record’s density of instruments and arrangements, every element shines through in a clean, polished way. The mastering perfectly complements the pristine production quality.
By Florian Radke 01 Dec, 2023
Explore Rick Rubin's minimalist music production ethos, highlighting his work with Johnny Cash and Adele, and how his "less is more" approach revolutionizes music’s emotional impact.
LL Cool J
By Rory PQ 18 May, 2023
Hip hop is one of the world's most prominent musical genres and cultural influences. Explore significant events in hip hop history and its explosive evolution.

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